noob asks: Difference between potion of Healing and "*Healing*" with the asterisks?

[danbang]

What's the difference between a potion of "healing" without asterisks and "*healing*" with asterisks? The only thing I can find after searching the web a lot (since it's very difficult to let Google or other web searches know that what you're looking for is the punctuation surrounding the word *healing*) is a quick mention that the version with asterisks is better (see https://groups.google.com/g/rec.game.../c/a3JKz9KfITE ), but what are specifics? In what way is it better? If a potion of "healing" (no asterisks) brings your life total back to the max, what can the potion of "*healing*" do? Bring you above your max? Throw in a bonus coupon for 50% off McDonald's?


(I don't even know if the ASTERISK"healing"ASTERISK above will be properly shown or whether they will be interpreted as BBcode by this forum, showing the two different versions of the name above to look the same and making me look very silly.)

[Cryomaniac]

It heals more. Plain Healing recovers several hundreds of HP, *Healing* can recover over a thousand. The difference becomes relevant on lowest dungeon levels, where enemies can deal more damage in a single attack than a simple Healing potion can recover.

[fph]

(As a general suggestion, it might make sense to rename it to "greater healing")

[Thraalbee]

Then there is !Life which heals for even more hp but more importantly also restores stats and experience.

[danbang]

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that Healing might not recover all hit points. Thanks for helping a noob! (I'm just on my first Angband character, not yet down to level 40 (I am at 1950' below ground right now). -- although I did play Moria many years ago, so I knew right at the start that I should choose a mage. Boy, am I glad I did! High elf mage, so I can ignore "You are terrified!" (since I hardly ever have to come within melee range) and not worry about torches running out due to infravsion, and half the magic items I can ignore since I can just cast the spell myself.)

[fph]

Danbang: welcome to this forum, it's good to see new players! A useful trick for you: try 'I'nspecting objects (capital i command); this often gives useful information on their effect.